LCBO Workers and supporters hold a strike rally at a picket line in front of an LCBO store, in Toronto on Saturday, July 6, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher KatsarovA tentative agreement has been reached between the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and its unionized employees that could see retail stores reopen as soon as Tuesday, after a last-minute dispute over details cast doubt over the resolution of the weeks-long strike.
Since the strike began on July 5, more than 660 LCBO stores have been closed, causing a ripple effect of challenges for restaurants, bars and events like summer weddings. The 10,000 unionized employees who walked off the job cited fears of job losses due to the provincial government’s plan to expand alcohol sales to allow convenience stores and all grocery stores to sell beer, wine and ready-to-drink cocktails.
“The workers have made it clear to Ontarians that Doug Ford’s alcohol-everywhere plan directly threatened jobs and public revenues. While this round of bargaining isn’t over until the deal is ratified, I’m incredibly proud of the workers and the stand they’ve taken,” said Colleen MacLeod, chair of the union’s bargaining team.
Meanwhile, the union expressed concerns about its employer’s unwillingness to sign a back-to-work protocol that laid out the logistics associated with the process and financials of returning to work.